elwaed



(No Model.)

J. H. ELWARD. HARVESTER.

No. 552,520. Patented Jan. 7, 1595.

iJNiTEI) STATES JOHN H. ELW'ARD, OF OREGON, ILLINOIS.

HARVESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,520, dated January '7, 1896.

Application filed September 15, 1882. Serial No. 71,922. (No model.) Patented in Canada October 12, 1882,1510. 15,616.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN H. ELWARD, a citizen. of the United States, residing at Oregon, in the county of Ogle and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Elevators for Harvesters, (for which I have obtained Letters Patent in Canada, No. 15,616, dated October 12, 1882,) of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a harvesting-machine embodying my improvements, taken from the grain side. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on a line parallel to the line of the cutter-bar. Fig. 3 is a side view of the upper elevator-roller detached and on alarger scale. Fig. 4. is a vertical crosssection of the same on the line 0001:, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an elevation, partly in section, of the lower rollers. Fig. is a perspective View of the shield or support upon which the grain rests while being elevated.

Although in the drawings I have shown the greater part of a complete harvesting-machine it will be understood that many of the parts thereof can be varied without departing from my invention.

A represents the drive-wheel carrying theends to the main frame and at their upper ends joined together.

G G represent the upper roller of the elevator and G G the lower rollers. The upper one is mounted by means of a shaft or gudgeons projecting from the ends and passing through the bars D D. One of the gudgeons or ends of the shaft is providedwith a sprocketwheel 13 for rotating the roller.

through-shaft G j ournaled in the bars D D or in any other suitable support. The elevator-apron is made in two parts, one of which The lower rollers G G are preferably mounted upon a.

passes around the lower roller G and the other around the roller G both aprons being provided with teeth or projections g. The lower roller G is formed and mounted independently of the roller G either or both of them being loose on the shaft G.

It is well known that much trouble has been experienced from the butts of the cut grain moving much more slowly up the elevator than the heads, which results in an uneven deliv cry of the grain to the binding-platform. I overcome this difficulty in a simple and eflicient manner by dividing the elevator-apron into two or more parts and mounting them in the manner described, so that one portion can travel at a greater speed than the other, and therefore carry up one end of the straw somewhat faster than the other. To effect this difference in speed I enlarge the part G of the upper roller, which part corresponds to the lower roller G This enlargement of the said part of the upper roller may be effected in any suitable way, though I prefer to accomplish it by means of layers or envelopes g g of flexible material, such as leather, which, as will be seen,.can be readily utilized to expand the circumference of a part of the roller.

Envelopes of difierent thicknesses can be provided for a machine by securing together layers of the material in any suitable wayas by rivets, stitching, or otherwise. The layers or pieces are preferably of such size as to extend nearly half-way around the roller, it thus taking two to form a complete envelope. The two parts of the envelopes can be advantageously joined by means of straps and buckles, the buckles being so arranged as to lie in the spaces between the edges or ends of the layers, and thus avoid their cutting or tearing the material forming the elevator-apron. In order to prevent these expanding envelopes from slipping upon the roller, they are preferably provided with spurs 9 adapted to. engage with apertures in the roller. When the-part G of the upper roller is thus expanded, the portion G of the apron will travel more rapidly than the part G and therefore it will overcome the tendency of the butts of the grain to drag behind the heads, especially when they are clogged with grass, according to the common experience. The

teeth g, with which the aprons are provided, are bent backward in relation to the path of their travel and are secured to cross-bars g. The grain is carried upward on the inclined shield or support F on the under side of the elevator, the direction of the movement of the teeth being indicated by the arrows, they sweeping the grain up said support or shield to its highest point, where it is discharged over the inclined chute-board II and drops into a gavel-receptacle.

The inclined support or shield F may be made of corrugated sheet metal, as shown, or it may be made of wood and with either a grooved or plane face. It is supported on the horizontal bar 13* and the frame-bars D and D. It is preferably curved at its lower end in the are of a circle concentric with rollers G G, reaching to a point as near the inner end of the horizontal apron C as the slats thereon will permit.

I am aware of the fact that over-acting elevators have been constructed with a series of belts carrying teeth which project forward relatively to the'path of their travel, the belts being carried by a roller at the upper ends, having parts of different diameters corresponding respectively to the different belts, the parts of larger diameter being at the front edgeof the machine, and a roller at the lower end having parts of different diameters corresponding in size respectively to the parts of the upper roller, the parts of the rollers respectively being rigidly secured and moving together. I am also aware that use has been madeof an over-acting elevator constructed with an upper shaft and a lower shaft, a moving carrier for the greater part of the length of the straw consisting of two chains, crossbars attached to the chains, pins or teeth projecting perpendicularly-from the chains, and the bars, and guards consisting of parallel wires above the carrier, (the whole of these parts forming an open skeleton device,) and a supplemental chain at the front edge of the elevator, having independent teeth, pins, or arms attached to the links thereof for carrying the butts of the grain.

The operation of my mechanism is materially different from that of machines of either of the classes above disclaimed. Then the grain is delivered to an elevator of the character first above described, the belts or stripswhich are moving the fastest tend to shift the grain toward the parts moving more slowly, and such shifting results, so far as the teeth that are attached to the belts will permit. The belts being so arranged as to form an open skeleton mechanism, the shifting of the grain transversely results in crowding much of it below some of the straps, and that which thus is crowded into the interior operates to ex pand the belts, and, in practice, machinesof this kind have been found to be comparatively worthless, owing to these facts. lVhen rollers having some parts expanded and some narrower are used, there are necessarily left wide open spaces between the diiferent parts of the elevator, and when grain is carried upon the upper side of the elevator it necessarily falls (besides being positively crowded, as above described) into the spaces between the parts or belts.

lVhen devices of the character and arranged in the relation I have shown are used, there is no tendency for the grain to be crowded in between the independently-moving parts of the elevator, either by gravity or by positive thrust. I can employ a continuous elevatorsurface-that is to say, a surface extending from side to side of the machine, without any gaps except those in vertical planes-and when the grain is shifted by means of the apron at the butts, moving the fastest, it will not get into the interior of the other part of the apron.

\Vhat I claim is l. The combination with thelower shield 01' supporting surface of the under-acting elevator situated above the shield and formed in two or more parts which, at their lower ends, are arranged to have their under sides in sub stantially the same plane, and means for imparting different speedsto the different parts of the elevator whereby the material can be received at the bottom through the throat or passage of uniform width and can be moved faster at one part than at the others, at points above said throat or passageway, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the upper driving roller having the parts of different diameters secured together and the lower rollers constructed with uniform diameter throughout, of an elevator composed of two or more differently speeded under actin g aprons mounted on said rollers, means for moving orrotating the aprons so mounted and means below the elevator to support the grain while being elevated, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the elevator composed of two or more separate aprons, the up per roller and the lower rollers, of a flexible sheet or sheets of expanding material placed around the upper roller to enlarge the diam eter of a portion of said roller (the width of said sheet or sheets being less than the length of said roller) whereby with a roller of uniform diameter throughout a support of such diameter is formed for one of the aprons and another concentric support of larger diameter for another apron, substantially asset forth.

at. In a harvesting machine, the combination of the underacting elevator composed of two or more separate aprons, the lower rollers for said aprons of substantially the same diameter throughout, the upper roller which drives the aprons and has a part or parts of larger diameter than the other or others, whereby the aprons are moved with different speeds, the shield below the elevator to support the grain and the delivery or upper chute board situated at a point lower than the upper roller, whereby a too near approach to the under shield of the apron which passes over the largest portion of the roller is'avoided, ends of the aprons and having one portion substantially as set forth. thereof of greater diameter than the other 5. The combination of the stationary supportion, whereby the aprons may move at dif- 15 port, leading to which is a passage way or ferent rates of speed, substantially as set throat of uniform width, upon which support forth. the grain is carried, the elevator composed of In testimony whereof I affix my signature separate underacting aprons having their ad in presence of two witnesses. jacent edges abutting and having projections extending outward from their surface toward JOHN H. ELXVARD. 10 the stationary support, the independent roll- Witnesses:

ers supporting said aprons at their lower ends, J. S. BARKER,

and the driving roller supporting the upper H. H. BLISS. 

